


Earth rituals

by Taaya



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Christmas, Christmas market, K/S Advent Calendar 2016, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-03
Updated: 2016-12-03
Packaged: 2018-09-06 04:43:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8735356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taaya/pseuds/Taaya
Summary: During the 5 year mission the Enterprise is back in Earth orbit and Jim decides to take Spock to a real, old traditional Christmas market. Spock tries to figure out if the rituals he knows apply to the situation.





	

**Author's Note:**

> My little part of the K/S Advent Calendar this year. 
> 
> **Title:** Earth rituals  
>  **Author:** Taaya  
>  **Beta:** /  
>  **Series:** TOS  
>  **Rating:** mature  
>  **Length:** 1947  
>  **Warnings:** alcohol  
>  **Summary:**  
>  Jim takes Spock to a traditional earth christmas market, and Spock tries to figure out if the rituals he knows apply to the situation.

It was cold, this year it had even snowed and so the city was covered in white powder, as Spock and Jim moved over the cobblestones of the square. This part of the city had not changed during the centuries, there was still the old cathedral on one side, where some earl or duke of the medieval ages was buried, his pet lion portrayed as a bronze statue in the middle of the square. The next side of the square was filled with the small castle that did not really look like a castle at all. Half-timbered houses were on the third and a museum on the fourth side of the square on and around which the market took place. 

 

They had shore leave of earth and it was christmas - okay, the 22nd of december - , so Jim had decided to take Spock to an old traditional christmas market. And not one of those who could be found all over on planet earth and in Federation space, no, it had to be one that was not just a copy, but the real thing. German, or at least european. Nuremberg, probably the most famous christmas market, would have been way too crowded to take a Vulcan there, but it should not be a shabby one either. Big, but not too big.

 

So now they were standing in Brunswick, a small city in region that once had been Germany, in the state of lower saxony. The market opened in late november and ended shortly after christmas, and with roughly one million visitors during that time, so there should not be too many people around at a time, right? Still it was crowded. And cold. 

 

Jim could see Spock’s tip of the nose turning green while they stood in front of the booth selling puppets. “I do not see any usefulness in having your hand in one of these puppets and acting as if it could talk”, Spock said and Jim chuckled. “Well, it’s a kind of art, performed on a stage. Comedy. And there are also physicians who use puppets like this so that the children are not scared to go to the doctor.” He hesitated, looking at Spock’s still confused face. “Just call it humans being illogical once again.” Still he shoved his hand into one puppet and let it face Spock. “Mr. Spock, you can’t tell me that this is not so ridiculous that it’s actually very funny”, the puppet then said with a rather squeaky voice. But Spock only arched a brow. “I believe, I can, Captain Puppet.” 

 

Jim laughed and put the puppet back to where it belonged, moving further down the aisle of the market they were in. Bratwurst booths with seemingly no end, although they selled vegetarian meals as well. And then there was a booth Spock actually took interest in: Minerals and gems of all sorts. Only those native to earth. They sold stones in every colour and size and even had really tiny ones mixed together, so that children could fill themselves a little bag with a shovel. That was exactly what Spock did. Although there were no stones he could not name, he thought that they might be useful for further scientific approaches. And there was another stone he found fascinating. A tiger’s eye. He hold it in his hand, letting the stone reflect the light of the lightbulbs the booth was illuminated with. “It reminds me of your eye colour, captain. Not quite brown, but not green or yellow either, the colour always shifting if the light changes”, he said as if it were the most natural thing to do. 

 

Jim grinned. “So you like my eyes, huh?”, he teased his best friend and took the stone from him, only to buy it and hand it over to Spock once again. “This way if we ever found ourselves separated, on different ships, you have something that will remind you of me. That there is a friend you can always turn to”, he said, his grin becoming a soft smile. Who knew what the future might hold for them? And even if it hurt imagining a life without Spock, it was possibly that their career would dictate separation. It was consoling to know that now Spock had a little something of him, eventhough he knew it was yet another sentimentality the Vulcan would not really understand. Or would at least pretend not to.

 

While they moved on to the next aisle, Jim saw Spock tense. His nose was even more green than a few minutes ago. He rolled his eyes, inwardly. “Oh, come here, you stubborn Vulcan”, he said, pulling Spock close to him and wrapping him in his coat. “I know, I know, no touching, but there are many layers of clothes between us and I need you to melt. It’s no fun walking around with a green popsicle. How can I enjoy myself if I know you’re suffering?”

 

He pressed even closer to his First Officer, holding him tight, trying to warm him at least a little. “And as soon as you’re molten again, we’ll get ourselves a nice cup of hot mulled wine and something hot to eat. Churros are vegetarian, I think”, Jim said, much more quiet this time as he did not want to hurt Spock’s ears with his volume. 

 

“Captain, I do believe that the people are staring at us. And they might assume that you and I are what you might call lovers”, Spock warned, but Jim once again only chuckled. “So what? Is it that dishonourable for a Vulcan if people think he’s gay?” 

Spock stayed quiet for a short while, but finally answered: “Indeed not, Captain. In our society the compatibility of the minds is of much higher value than any gender roles and sexualities. Though homosexual couples can not produce offspring without medical assistance, they are accepted. I merely worried about your capability of finding a partner for the night as you so often tend to do on shore leave.” 

Jim stepped back to give Spock a surprised look. “You thought I’ll come here with you, to show you the beauty of human christmas and then run off with some girl and leave you alone?” He inched closer again, bit by bit, to hold Spock in his arms once again. “No, tonight I’m all yours. And now come, let’s get you a hot drink.” 

But even though they saw many booths selling mulled wine, Jim decided to try something different. “Lumumba. Hot cholocate with a good shot of rum. At least we both get drunk then and I’m not the only only behaving like an idiot”, he explained and gave Spock a beaming smile. 

 

The Vulcan arched a brow once again. “Captain, I am not fully accustomed with earth rituals, but am I correct in assuming that this is usually used as a mating ritual? Getting a partner drunk so that sexual intercourse is likely to happen?”, he asked, warming his hands on the cup. 

 

Now Jim’s smile faded and his face was a grimace of shock and surprise. “What? No. I …wouldn’t … Spock, I’m not like this. If I ever were to make love to you, I would want you to be able to consent. I would never abuse you like this. And I would want both of us to be able to remember that night. I mean, yes, alcohol or probably in your case chocolate, can make things easier. But it’s just wrong to use it without knowing that the other one would want it even when he or she is sober.” 

 

He took a huge sip and looked down on his feet. The drink wasn’t nearly as strong as he wished for, facing this conversation. “Do you really think of me this way? That I’m that addicted to sex that I run off to find some cheap date whenever I can? And that if I am stuck to you - no offense - I’ll just seduce you, although you are my best friend and I know that you’d hate me if I ever crossed that boundary?” Now Jim was insecure. Had he really acted in a way that could Spock believe anything like this? “I’m … I have to admit that I’m not good in making relationships work, you know? But I’m not …. I would not … I really look for the right one, you know? The whole package. Love. Someone who’s presence feels like coming home. I …” 

But Spock interrupted him. “I would not hate you. I was merely making sure that I understand your intentions correctly”, he said, finally taking a sip of his lumumba. “When you said that tonight you were mine, I misunderstood. Forgive me.” 

 

Jim had gotten used to reading the fine, hidden emotions in Spock’s face and tone and frowned. “Are you … are you disappointed?”, he asked and Spock tensed again. “I found that home, to me, is ...you.” 

 

“Oh you daft old Vulcan”, Jim started, shaking his head, laughing. “If you had just said so, I would have … Spock, I love you. Of course I do. I just thought that you … and that I … I was trying to find anyone who might mean as much to me as you do. Or at least anything. But there never was. There’s only ever been you.” He put his cup down on the counter of the booth and pulled Spock close to him once more, but this time to steal a kiss, soft and short and promising. 

 

The Vulcan did not let go of his cup, it was way too warm to put it down, as he was really cold. But he layed his forehead agains Jim’s after they kissed. “‘The whole package’?”, he asked. “Will that include exclusivity of physical forms of love and at some point marriage?” 

 

“It’s all or nothing with you Vulcans, right?” Jim tried to sound annoyed but his smile gave him away. “But yes, I do believe that after a period of getting to know each other as lovers I will very much be interested in moving in with you and making you legally mine. The human way, the Vulcan way and on every planet we come across.” He kissed Spock again. “But let’s … let’s just live in the moment, today, yes? Tomorrow we can make plans. Today I wanna make you try candied almonds and Lebkuchen, which is a soft type of gingerbread. Oh, they make them in heartshapes with little messages written in sugarcoating on it. They’re probably German, but we’ll find something we both understand. And you have to try what they call Feuerzangenbowle, a rather strong alcoholic beverage. And I wanna show you so much.” His eyes were positively glowing with fun and anticipation when Jim took Spock’s free hand and showed him the rest of the booths. 

And when they beamed back on board, Spock had two Lebkuchen hearts around his neck, one saying ‘I love you’ in german, the other … Well, Jim would never tell Spock that ‘Knackarsch’ meint that Spock had a nice butt. 

And Jim? He had lots and lots of candy in a bag and carried a huge teddy and a small inflatable hammer that made a sound whenever it hit something. They had won both of them while drawing lots. That night they only fell into bed, both cuddling the huge teddy bear but in the morning Jim finally held his promise to make love to Spock once he would not take advantage of his Vulcan being inebriated. And afterwards Spock actually made the teddy talk, just to amuse his captain.


End file.
